Title: The boy who was raised by Librarians
Author: Carla Morris
Publisher: Peachtree Publishers
Copyright: 2007 by Carla Morris
Pages: 32
Ages: 4-8
Genre: Picture
Summary:
Melvin loved the library. He loved to learn from the books and because he was so curious the library was the perfect place for him. Everyday after school he would go to the library and visit Marge, Betty and Leeola. Whatever he needed help with, they helped him. And they each had different ideas on how to help him. One day, Melvin brought a jar of bugs in to find out what they were, but tripped and lost them all. The Librarians helped him recollect them and identify them all. In second grade Melvin starred as an eggplant in the school play and the librarians advised him. He received a standing ovation. He enjoyed everything at the library, especially the sleepovers. In third grade he collected baseball card and the librarians showed him how to store them and sell them. In fourth grade Melvin won the Complete and Unabridged A-to-Z spelling bee. In fifth grade he won two trophies for knowing geography. In sixth grade he won the science fair and in seventh he was on T.V. Even during high school Melvyn would come to the library and ever got a part time job there. The librarians were at his graduation and he continued to write them as he left for college. Years later, another little boy came to the library and loved it, and the Livingston’s newest librarian, Melvyn, helped the boy.
Recommendations:
I think this is a good book for people who don’t like libraries, but especially those people that love libraries. It shows that libraries are cool and can help you be smarter.
Potential Problems:
None
My reaction:
I thought it was a nice book, but it definitely isn’t one of my favorites. I thought it went on for too long and didn’t really have much plot. I got bored with it after the first 4 pages.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Pigs
Title: Pigs
Author: Duncan Searl
Publisher: Bearport
Copyright: 2006 Bearport Publishing Company
Ages: 9-12
Pages: 32
Genre: Nonfiction
Summary:
Pigs are incredibly smart animals. Many people do not know that they are just as intelligent as dogs and do many of the same jobs that dogs do. For example, helping the blind, sheep herders, and hunters. Pigs scored the highest in a maze test and are even able to play video games with their snout. On some farms, the pigs have been taught to control their environment. When they get too warm, they turn the heat lamps off, and when they are cold they turn the heat lamps on. Pigs are even used on the police force and are great at finding drugs and guns. Pigs love the water and have been known to save people from drowning. Just like dogs, pigs love to be loved and respected.
Recommendations:
Someone who is looking into getting a new pet, like a dog or pig.
Potential Problems:
I don’t see any.
My Reaction:
I liked it, I learned a lot about pigs and how intelligent they really are. It sounds like they could be useful to have around, but I think I’ll stick with my dog Sadie.
Author: Duncan Searl
Publisher: Bearport
Copyright: 2006 Bearport Publishing Company
Ages: 9-12
Pages: 32
Genre: Nonfiction
Summary:
Pigs are incredibly smart animals. Many people do not know that they are just as intelligent as dogs and do many of the same jobs that dogs do. For example, helping the blind, sheep herders, and hunters. Pigs scored the highest in a maze test and are even able to play video games with their snout. On some farms, the pigs have been taught to control their environment. When they get too warm, they turn the heat lamps off, and when they are cold they turn the heat lamps on. Pigs are even used on the police force and are great at finding drugs and guns. Pigs love the water and have been known to save people from drowning. Just like dogs, pigs love to be loved and respected.
Recommendations:
Someone who is looking into getting a new pet, like a dog or pig.
Potential Problems:
I don’t see any.
My Reaction:
I liked it, I learned a lot about pigs and how intelligent they really are. It sounds like they could be useful to have around, but I think I’ll stick with my dog Sadie.
Police Officers
Title: Police Officers
Author: Dee Ready
Publisher: Capstone Press
Copyright: 1997Capstone Press
Ages: 9-12
Pages: 24
Genre: Non-fiction
Summary:
Police officers have a job to keep their community safe. They patrol streets and stop people when they break the law. Police officers wear uniforms. Some of the tools they use include, a gun, handcuffs and some carry radar guns to catch people speeding. Many officers drive police cars, some are marked, and some unmarked. A police officer must be at least 18 years old, but no college is necessary. They do study at a police academy and that can last up to a year. Police officers work at police stations, patrol in their cars or their bikes and some even walk. Dispatchers and detectives and the crime lab help police officers. They teach about drugs and crime to children at school and keep their community safe.
Recommendations:
It says that this is a book for 9-12 year olds, but it was incredibly short and simple, I would recommend this to a kindergarten or first grade class.
Potential Problems:
It’s over 10 years old and some things have changed.
My Reaction:
I didn’t like it, I thought it was boring and not geared toward the right age group.
Author: Dee Ready
Publisher: Capstone Press
Copyright: 1997Capstone Press
Ages: 9-12
Pages: 24
Genre: Non-fiction
Summary:
Police officers have a job to keep their community safe. They patrol streets and stop people when they break the law. Police officers wear uniforms. Some of the tools they use include, a gun, handcuffs and some carry radar guns to catch people speeding. Many officers drive police cars, some are marked, and some unmarked. A police officer must be at least 18 years old, but no college is necessary. They do study at a police academy and that can last up to a year. Police officers work at police stations, patrol in their cars or their bikes and some even walk. Dispatchers and detectives and the crime lab help police officers. They teach about drugs and crime to children at school and keep their community safe.
Recommendations:
It says that this is a book for 9-12 year olds, but it was incredibly short and simple, I would recommend this to a kindergarten or first grade class.
Potential Problems:
It’s over 10 years old and some things have changed.
My Reaction:
I didn’t like it, I thought it was boring and not geared toward the right age group.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
The Rain Came Down
Title: The rain came down
Author: David Shannon
Publisher: Blue Sky Press
Copyright: 2000 by David Shannon
Pages: 32 pages
Ages: 4-8
Genre: Picture book
Summary:
On Saturday morning is started to rain, making the chickens squawk. The cat got mad at the chickens and the dog barked at the cat, but the rain wouldn’t stop. A man yelled at his dog which woke up the baby as the mother yelled for him to stop yelling. A policeman heard the noise and checked on them. His car was blocking traffic and a woman in a taxi squirmed. The woman was going to miss her plane so the taxi drivcer honked his horn. The truck driver in front got mad and started honking back. The ice cream man heard the honking so he turned up his music. The beauty parlor owner came out and bumped into the barber and they began to argue. The painter couldn’t paint in the rain, and all three of them argued. The bakers cakes got wet, and the pizza man got hit in the nose so they began to argue. A boy splashed a girl and she started to cry. A grocery man is looking for his tomato truck that is stuck in traffic but bumps into a lady knocking her boxes into his fruit stand. The policeman goes to his car and hears all the noise (all the time it’s raining) and then, the rain stopped and so did the noise. Everyone stops arguing and the policeman declares everything “A OK”. The woman in the taxi got her hair done and the woman at the grocery store climbed in the taxi to go home. The delivery man got where he needed to go and the little boy and girl had ice cream from the ice cream man. The man, his wife, their baby dog, and cat had a picnic in the afternoon.
Recommendations:
I wouldn’t recommend this book to anyone. It was boring.
Potential problems:
Other than being boring, none.
MY reaction:
Hated it, I was so bored, I couldn’t have cared less about the rain, who argues because it’s raining?
Author: David Shannon
Publisher: Blue Sky Press
Copyright: 2000 by David Shannon
Pages: 32 pages
Ages: 4-8
Genre: Picture book
Summary:
On Saturday morning is started to rain, making the chickens squawk. The cat got mad at the chickens and the dog barked at the cat, but the rain wouldn’t stop. A man yelled at his dog which woke up the baby as the mother yelled for him to stop yelling. A policeman heard the noise and checked on them. His car was blocking traffic and a woman in a taxi squirmed. The woman was going to miss her plane so the taxi drivcer honked his horn. The truck driver in front got mad and started honking back. The ice cream man heard the honking so he turned up his music. The beauty parlor owner came out and bumped into the barber and they began to argue. The painter couldn’t paint in the rain, and all three of them argued. The bakers cakes got wet, and the pizza man got hit in the nose so they began to argue. A boy splashed a girl and she started to cry. A grocery man is looking for his tomato truck that is stuck in traffic but bumps into a lady knocking her boxes into his fruit stand. The policeman goes to his car and hears all the noise (all the time it’s raining) and then, the rain stopped and so did the noise. Everyone stops arguing and the policeman declares everything “A OK”. The woman in the taxi got her hair done and the woman at the grocery store climbed in the taxi to go home. The delivery man got where he needed to go and the little boy and girl had ice cream from the ice cream man. The man, his wife, their baby dog, and cat had a picnic in the afternoon.
Recommendations:
I wouldn’t recommend this book to anyone. It was boring.
Potential problems:
Other than being boring, none.
MY reaction:
Hated it, I was so bored, I couldn’t have cared less about the rain, who argues because it’s raining?
A Year Down Yonder
Title: A Year Down Yonder
Author: Richard Peck
Publisher: Penguin Group
Copyright: Richard Peck, 2000
Pages: 130
Ages: 9-12
Genre: Fiction
Summary:
Just after the Great Depression Mary Alice is sent to live with her grandmother because her parents don’t have the money to care for her any longer. Mary Alice is dreading this, she knows her grandmother well enough to know that she is strange. Mary Alice brings her cat Bootsie with her and her radio. When her grandmother meets her at the train she takes her directly to the school. She is enrolled and told to watch out for the Burdick kids. Unfortunately she has to share books with her until she can get her own. Mildred Burdick tells her she owes her a dollar and follows her home from school. Grandma invites Mildred in but has her take off her boots, she even feeds her. But grandma is tricky, she takes Mildred’s boots and puts them around the horses neck, and then lets the horse go so that Mildred has to walk the 5 miles home.
Later, Mary Alice asks where Bootsie is and grandma tells her that she won’t have a cat in the house, but not to worry because she buttered her paws.
Halloween was fast approaching and it was a big deal. Because there was a school party coming up, Grandma decided to make Pecan and Pumkin pies. Mary Alice is distressed by Bootsie being abused, and when she tells her grandmother about it she finds her making glue. Which is used on the boys who come to tip over their privy. They use wire to trip the boys and then poor the glue over their heads. The boys ran scared and left their supplies behind, including a knife, a saw and a bag of flour.
The next day at school most of the boys were missing. But that night, Grandma has a plan. She tells Mary Alice to come with her and they go to an old mans house who said they could have the pecans on the ground. Not finding enough, grandma rams a tractor into the tree knocking more pecans down. Just enough for her pecan pies. They also picked up a pumpkin from someone’s house but Mary Alice sees this as stealing and doesn’t like it. But Grandma knows what she’s doing. The next morning they began on the pies and by nightfall they were complete. They took them to the party and they were a hit. Mary Alice sees the boy who got glue on his head and when she bobs for apples she kept them and took them home to bake.
They go to another event for Armistice Day and for some reason Mary Alice is given a gun to participate in the turkey shoot. She hands the gun to the next person in line and it’s the same boy who got glue on him, Augie. He takes aim but decides to go after a rabbit instead but misses and hits a new car. When it was time to serve the burgoo, grandma was cashier and got more than a dime off almost everyone. Mary Alice wants to know what grandma is going to do with all that money and it turns out she gives it to a less fortunate woman.
Christmas was coming up soon and Mary Alice and Carleen(the popular girl) were at odds. Mary Alice looked rundown while Carleen was always in nice clothes. But it is Mary Alice who is picked to be Mary in the school nativity. Mary Alice confides in her grandmother, but she soon changes the subject and they go out fox hunting.
When it is time for the play, grandma makes Mary Alice a halo out of baling wire and stars cut from tin cans. The production begins but goes wrong when Baby Jesus turns out to be a real baby! It turns out to be one of the Burdick babies. That made it one of the most memorable Christmas pageants in history, but not for Mary Alice. For her it was seeing her brother. Grandma had used the fox money to buy him a ticket! She also got a round trip ticket for Mary Alice to see her folks.
The DAR asks grandma to make the cherry tarts for their meeting and agrees to make them on her terms, she says that the meeting will take place at her house.
Valentines day arrives and Ina-Rae receives 4 valentines while Carleen only gets one. And three are from boys, or so everyone thinks. It turns out that Mary Alice made them to make Carleen angry, and boy did it work!
Mary Alice and grandma make the pastry tarts and prepare for the DAR meeting. It turns out that grandma had planned a reuniting of two sisters, much to the displeasure of one of them.
Spring came and for her birthday Mary Alice’s mother sent her a dollar. Bootsie began climbing up the house and sleeping in her room, grandma knew about it. Soon, Bootsie had kittens. A man comes along who grandma lets stay with them for a steep rent. That becomes the talk of the town for awhile but Mary Alice soon sets her cap on the new boy in school named Royce. Falling behind in math she asks for his help and he agrees. When Royce comes over, things go terribly wrong. A loud noise from upstairs occurs and grandma runs up the stairs in her night clothes with a gun. And down runs a naked woman, with a snake draped over her. Grandma scolds the man upstairs and Royce leaves. Mary Alice thinks he life is next to over. Rumors start to fly about kicking the man out of town and that he’d have to marry the naked woman. This reached grandma’s ears and she has Mary Alice invite her teacher over for dinner. Grandma is matchmaking.
Soon, school was out with summer approaching. And Royce graduates with four other girls. And as the end of the school year party approaches they are divided into committees. Mary Alice is finally one of them. But just as she’s starting to fit it, a tornado siren goes off, and instead of going to the school basement she runs home to grandma. She returns home to find that her grandma has rescued the cats. (Grandma lies and says she wouldn’t have bothered except she was already nearby.) After the tornado passes they go to help other people in town. The tornado turned out not to be too bad but they still had to clean up.
The graduation and school party happened soon after and everyone went but grandma. During the hayride, Royce and Mart Alice sit next to each other and he asks if he can write her while he’s at college. She agrees and he puts his arm around her.
Mary Alice decides that she wants to stay with her grandma instead of returning to Chicago but has to return. Years later, she is married at her grandma’s house. It was during the last year of the war and everything was rationed, but she married Royce and was happy.
Recommendations:
I would recommend this to girls more than I would to boys. It’s really a lovely story.
Potential Problems:
None.
My reaction:
I didn’t like it the first time I read it. But I read it again and really enjoyed it. The second time I was able to pay closer attention to the way Grandma acted. Almost everything she did, she did out of love.
Author: Richard Peck
Publisher: Penguin Group
Copyright: Richard Peck, 2000
Pages: 130
Ages: 9-12
Genre: Fiction
Summary:
Just after the Great Depression Mary Alice is sent to live with her grandmother because her parents don’t have the money to care for her any longer. Mary Alice is dreading this, she knows her grandmother well enough to know that she is strange. Mary Alice brings her cat Bootsie with her and her radio. When her grandmother meets her at the train she takes her directly to the school. She is enrolled and told to watch out for the Burdick kids. Unfortunately she has to share books with her until she can get her own. Mildred Burdick tells her she owes her a dollar and follows her home from school. Grandma invites Mildred in but has her take off her boots, she even feeds her. But grandma is tricky, she takes Mildred’s boots and puts them around the horses neck, and then lets the horse go so that Mildred has to walk the 5 miles home.
Later, Mary Alice asks where Bootsie is and grandma tells her that she won’t have a cat in the house, but not to worry because she buttered her paws.
Halloween was fast approaching and it was a big deal. Because there was a school party coming up, Grandma decided to make Pecan and Pumkin pies. Mary Alice is distressed by Bootsie being abused, and when she tells her grandmother about it she finds her making glue. Which is used on the boys who come to tip over their privy. They use wire to trip the boys and then poor the glue over their heads. The boys ran scared and left their supplies behind, including a knife, a saw and a bag of flour.
The next day at school most of the boys were missing. But that night, Grandma has a plan. She tells Mary Alice to come with her and they go to an old mans house who said they could have the pecans on the ground. Not finding enough, grandma rams a tractor into the tree knocking more pecans down. Just enough for her pecan pies. They also picked up a pumpkin from someone’s house but Mary Alice sees this as stealing and doesn’t like it. But Grandma knows what she’s doing. The next morning they began on the pies and by nightfall they were complete. They took them to the party and they were a hit. Mary Alice sees the boy who got glue on his head and when she bobs for apples she kept them and took them home to bake.
They go to another event for Armistice Day and for some reason Mary Alice is given a gun to participate in the turkey shoot. She hands the gun to the next person in line and it’s the same boy who got glue on him, Augie. He takes aim but decides to go after a rabbit instead but misses and hits a new car. When it was time to serve the burgoo, grandma was cashier and got more than a dime off almost everyone. Mary Alice wants to know what grandma is going to do with all that money and it turns out she gives it to a less fortunate woman.
Christmas was coming up soon and Mary Alice and Carleen(the popular girl) were at odds. Mary Alice looked rundown while Carleen was always in nice clothes. But it is Mary Alice who is picked to be Mary in the school nativity. Mary Alice confides in her grandmother, but she soon changes the subject and they go out fox hunting.
When it is time for the play, grandma makes Mary Alice a halo out of baling wire and stars cut from tin cans. The production begins but goes wrong when Baby Jesus turns out to be a real baby! It turns out to be one of the Burdick babies. That made it one of the most memorable Christmas pageants in history, but not for Mary Alice. For her it was seeing her brother. Grandma had used the fox money to buy him a ticket! She also got a round trip ticket for Mary Alice to see her folks.
The DAR asks grandma to make the cherry tarts for their meeting and agrees to make them on her terms, she says that the meeting will take place at her house.
Valentines day arrives and Ina-Rae receives 4 valentines while Carleen only gets one. And three are from boys, or so everyone thinks. It turns out that Mary Alice made them to make Carleen angry, and boy did it work!
Mary Alice and grandma make the pastry tarts and prepare for the DAR meeting. It turns out that grandma had planned a reuniting of two sisters, much to the displeasure of one of them.
Spring came and for her birthday Mary Alice’s mother sent her a dollar. Bootsie began climbing up the house and sleeping in her room, grandma knew about it. Soon, Bootsie had kittens. A man comes along who grandma lets stay with them for a steep rent. That becomes the talk of the town for awhile but Mary Alice soon sets her cap on the new boy in school named Royce. Falling behind in math she asks for his help and he agrees. When Royce comes over, things go terribly wrong. A loud noise from upstairs occurs and grandma runs up the stairs in her night clothes with a gun. And down runs a naked woman, with a snake draped over her. Grandma scolds the man upstairs and Royce leaves. Mary Alice thinks he life is next to over. Rumors start to fly about kicking the man out of town and that he’d have to marry the naked woman. This reached grandma’s ears and she has Mary Alice invite her teacher over for dinner. Grandma is matchmaking.
Soon, school was out with summer approaching. And Royce graduates with four other girls. And as the end of the school year party approaches they are divided into committees. Mary Alice is finally one of them. But just as she’s starting to fit it, a tornado siren goes off, and instead of going to the school basement she runs home to grandma. She returns home to find that her grandma has rescued the cats. (Grandma lies and says she wouldn’t have bothered except she was already nearby.) After the tornado passes they go to help other people in town. The tornado turned out not to be too bad but they still had to clean up.
The graduation and school party happened soon after and everyone went but grandma. During the hayride, Royce and Mart Alice sit next to each other and he asks if he can write her while he’s at college. She agrees and he puts his arm around her.
Mary Alice decides that she wants to stay with her grandma instead of returning to Chicago but has to return. Years later, she is married at her grandma’s house. It was during the last year of the war and everything was rationed, but she married Royce and was happy.
Recommendations:
I would recommend this to girls more than I would to boys. It’s really a lovely story.
Potential Problems:
None.
My reaction:
I didn’t like it the first time I read it. But I read it again and really enjoyed it. The second time I was able to pay closer attention to the way Grandma acted. Almost everything she did, she did out of love.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Title: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
Author: J.K. Rowling
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Copyright: 1997 by J.K. Rowling
Ages: 9-12
Pages: 309
Genre: Fantasy
Summary:
When Harry Potter is a year old his parents are murdered by Lord Voldemort. Harry is the only person to have ever survived the killing curse. After his parents are murdered he is sent to live with his Aunt and Uncle. His Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon and their son Dudley treat Harry horribly. For the first ten years they have him. Until the day that Harry gets a letter from a magical school called Hogwarts. His Aunt and Uncle try to tell him that there’s been a mistake, but they can’t stop the letters from coming. At one point, they all run away to a shack in the middle of the ocean and take refuge there. That night (the eve of Harry’s eleventh birthday) A Giant named Hagrid appears and tells Harry a bit about his past. Including that his parents were murdered. Hagrid takes him to the Wizarding part of London to gather his money from Gringotts (and a package that the headmaster sent Hagrid to retrieve) and school supplies. While Harry is purchasing a wand (The brother of the wand that left Harry a lightning bolt scar on his forehead.) Hagrid buys Harry an Owl whom Harry names Hedwig. Hagrid explains to Harry everything he knows about the night that Harry’s parents were murdered and then leaves Harry to his thoughts.
In September, Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia drop Harry off at the train station for Harry to catch his train on platform 9 ¾. But because he is alone, he doesn’t know how to get onto the platform so he asks for help from a nearby woman with several children. It turns out he is supposed to run at the barrier (and basically hope you don’t die). Once he is aboard the train he meets Ronald Weasley and they become fast friends. They meet a know-it-all girl named Hermione and soon decide that she is not worth their while.
Hagrid greets the first year students at the train and takes them in the boats across the lake. Once they arrive at the castle, each student is sorted into one of four houses. This is done by a magical hat being placed on each first years head and it determines where they belong. When it is Harry’s turn he has the entire school’s attention, including the Headmaster (Dumbledore) and the Potions master (Snape). He begs the hat not to send him to Slytherin. So instead, he is placed in Gryffindor. Ron, Hermione and an awkward boy named Neville are also sorted into Gryffindor. While, a nasty boy named Draco Malfoy and his two friends Crabbe and Goyle are placed in Slytherin. (The same house that Voldemort was in.)
After the best dinner Harry has ever had, he and the rest of Gryffindor house head up to their common room which is behind that portrait of the fat lady.
The next day Harry becomes the center of attention, everyone stares and makes comments about him. Also, he and the first years attend their very first potions lesson. This is where Harry learns that Professor Snape absolutely hates him. He asks him impossible questions and expects him to know the answers and even takes points from Gryffindor when Harry doesn’t know the answer. Ron tries to cheer him up and they go to Hagrid’s for tea. While at Hagrid’s Harry finds a newspaper clipping about Gringotts, the wizard bank, being broken into. Harry thinks that it is the same vault that Hagrid emptied the first day they met.
Harry and Draco end up becoming enemies. But Harry triumphs. The first year students are to take flying lessons and Harry is an absolute natural. He and Malfoy have a fight of sorts in the air and their Transfiguration teacher see’s how amazing Harry is on a broom and puts him on the Gryffindor Quidditch team as the Seeker. Draco challenges Harry to a duel but in fact uses it as a set up to get Harry and Ron kicked out of school. (Hermione goes with them, much to the annoyance of the boys.) While on the run from Filch (the caretaker) they run into a locked door on the third floor (which they had previously been forbidden to enter) and come face to face with a three headed dog. They barely escape and return to their common room. Draco is furious when he sees them at school the next day and his anger only heightens when Harry receives his first broomstick. A Nimbus 2000. Later that day Harry receives his first Quidditch lesson from the team captain Oliver Wood. Harry is a natural and Wood is thrilled!
With classes and Quidditch Harry is shocked to find out he’s been at Hogwarts for two months. The first years begin to learn spells (like wingardium leviosa, a levitating spell.) But when Hermione masters the spells the quickest, Ron makes fun of her and she spends the rest of the afternoon in the girls bathroom crying. That night at the Halloween feast, a troll is let into the school and Harry and Ron run to warn Hermione. Only they end up locking the troll in the girls bathroom with her. All three of them are able to defeat the troll. When the teachers come in and start blaming the boys, Hermione lies to protect them. From then on, they’re all very good friends.
The Quidditch season begins and Harry prepares for his first game. He is beyond nervous and when Snape takes his Quidditch book from him, Harry notices that he is limping. He goes to the staffroom to retrieve his book only to find out that Snape had been bitten by the three headed dog. Harry comes up with the theory that Snape let the troll in to try and get past the three headed dog to get to whatever is was protecting. The day of Harry’s first game starts out wonderfully, until Harry loses control of his broom because of a curse. Hermione notices that Snape is watching Harry and speaking under his breath so she assumes that it’s him. She lights his robes on fire and Harry is able to regain control of his broom, barely catching the snitch in time. When Harry, Ron and Hermione tell Hagrid about Snape he is immediately curious to how they found out about his dog Fluffy. But explains to them that Snape is trying to protect what is hidden beneath the school and that it’s between Professor Dumbledore and Mr. Flamel.
With the Christmas holidays right around the corner Harry, Ron and Hermione spend a lot of time in the library trying to find out what could be hidden beneath the school. Christmas arrives and for the first time in Harry’s memory, he has gifts. He opens them to discover an invisibility cloak that belonged to his father. The note attached says “use it well”. And after the Hogwarts Christmas feast, he does. He goes to the restricted section of the library to look for information on Mr. Flamel. He is almost caught by Snape and Filch but squeezes through an open doorway to find a large mirror in the middle of a classroom. As he stepped in front of it he saw not only himself, but an entire crowd of people around him. He realizes that it is his family, and directly behind him are his mother and father. He leaves that night and plans to go back again the next day.
After telling Ron of his adventure they decide to go together. But when Ron stands in front of the mirror, he doesn’t see his family. He’s head boy and quidditch captain. Harry, wanting to see his parents again shoves Ron and there is a scuffle. Mrs. Norris (Mr. Filch’s cat) comes in and they run for it. But Harry is consumed by the mirror. He visits it nightly until Professor Dumbledore catches him. He explains that the mirror shows our deepest desires, but not the future. He tells Harry that the mirror will be moved to a new home and not to go looking for it again. Harry agrees and goes back to regular life. But soon finds that life is not normal. He begins having strange dreams and when he finds out that Snape is refereeing the next quidditch match, he becomes even more worried.
While in the common room with Hermione, Ron and Neville, Harry finds Nicholas Flamel. They find out that he created the Sorcerer’s Stone, which will make the drinker immortal.
As the next quidditch match approaches, Harry becomes more and more worried. Until he finds out that Dumbledore will be at the match. He catches the snitch and Gryffindor is in the lead. But on his way back up to the school he sees Snape going into the forbidden forest and follows him. He listens as Snape threatens Quirrell and then tells Ron and Hermione what he saw.
Soon after, they run into Hagrid who is looking up information about Dragons, only to find out that he has won a dragon Egg. Not only that, he is trying to hatch it, which is illegal. Unfortunately Draco hears them talking about it and informs a teacher, so they have to get rid of the dragon before Hagrid can be found out. Ron is ingured by the dragon and unable to help, so it’s left to Hermione and Harry. Fortunately, Ron’s brother has some friends who agreed to pick up the dragon. But it will be after curfew in the astronomy tower. Harry and Hermione let the dragon go without a hitch, but forget the invisibility cloak at the top of the tower. Draco had told on them and Neville had heard and was trying to warn them. All four of them got detention, not only that, they lost their houses 50 points each.
The night of their detention arrives and they go into the forbidden forest with Hagrid to find an injured unicorn. Harry and Draco find it, but it’s dead, and something is drinking its blood. It comes after Harry but he is rescued by a centaur, and returned to Hagrid. But Harry learned that Voldemort is after the stone.
Harry, Ron and Hermione all make it through their exams successfully, but none of them remember how. After their exams they go to Hagrids only to find out that Hagrid let the secret out of how to get past Fluffy. They run tot tell Dumbledore only to learn that he’s gone to London. They realize that tonight is the night and they plan to stop Snape. After everyone in the common room went to bed, Harry, Ron and Hermione get under the invisibility cloak and are about to head to the third floor corridor. Neville threatens to fight them to keep them out of trouble but Hermione stuns him. One they get to Fluffy, Harry uses a flute to lull Fluffy to sleep and Jump down the trapdoor.
Once they get away from fluffy they have to complete several tasks. The first of which is escaping from Devil’s snare, a deadly plant that tries to kill you. Hermione manages to get them out of that challenge. Next, is a room filled with flying keys and a locked door on the opposite side of the room. Harry masters this fairly easily. Ron is in charge of the next room. It’s a giant chessboard and they have to play the part of the chessmen. Ron sacrifices himself so that Hermione and Harry can go on. Harry and Hermione both stumble across a troll that has been knocked out and continue on. Hermione manages to get past Snape’s logic poem and she returns to help Ron and tell Dumbledore that Harry has gone after the stone. Harry moves forward but doesn’t meet Snape or Voldemort like he thought he would. Professor Quirrell is standing in front of the Mirror of Erised trying to figure out how to get the stone out of it. Harry is confused, he was sure that Snape tried to kill him and truly hates him. Quirrell agrees that Snape hates Harry but he tried to undo the curse on Harry’s broom. Harry learns that Lord Voldemort is with Quirrell at all times. The turban that he wears is to hide Voldemort sticking out of the back of his head. Voldemort has Quirrell use Harry to find the stone. Harry does, and then runs. For the first time in 10 years, Harry and Voldemort are face to face. He offers Harry the chance to be with his mother and father again, but Harry refuses. Quirrell/Voldemort try to kill him, but he cannot hold Harry. By touching him, he gets severe burns, so Harry grabs his face and doesn’t let go until he passes out.
When Harry wakes up with Professor Dumbledore leaning over him. He immediately begins to worry that Voldemort got away and advises Dumbledore to go after him. Dumbledore tells him that the stone has been destroyed and that the reason Quirrell/Voldemort could not touch Harry was because Harry’s mother died to protect him, and that it left a powerful mark of protection. Love.
Ron and Hermione come to visit Harry and he told them what Dumbledore had shared with him. Unfortunately, because of the points lost, Gryffindor is in last place for the house cup, until Dumble gives points to four lucky Gryffindor’s. They win the house cup and they all board the train and return home. Harry can’t wait to come back to Hogwarts after the summer.
Who would I recommend this to?
EVERYONE!!!
Potential Problems:
It is somewhat scary and involves witches which bothers some parents. They believe it’s an evil book.
My reaction:
This is my favorite book of the semester, I think J.K. Rowling is an amazing author and I can’t wait to read more of her books.
Author: J.K. Rowling
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Copyright: 1997 by J.K. Rowling
Ages: 9-12
Pages: 309
Genre: Fantasy
Summary:
When Harry Potter is a year old his parents are murdered by Lord Voldemort. Harry is the only person to have ever survived the killing curse. After his parents are murdered he is sent to live with his Aunt and Uncle. His Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon and their son Dudley treat Harry horribly. For the first ten years they have him. Until the day that Harry gets a letter from a magical school called Hogwarts. His Aunt and Uncle try to tell him that there’s been a mistake, but they can’t stop the letters from coming. At one point, they all run away to a shack in the middle of the ocean and take refuge there. That night (the eve of Harry’s eleventh birthday) A Giant named Hagrid appears and tells Harry a bit about his past. Including that his parents were murdered. Hagrid takes him to the Wizarding part of London to gather his money from Gringotts (and a package that the headmaster sent Hagrid to retrieve) and school supplies. While Harry is purchasing a wand (The brother of the wand that left Harry a lightning bolt scar on his forehead.) Hagrid buys Harry an Owl whom Harry names Hedwig. Hagrid explains to Harry everything he knows about the night that Harry’s parents were murdered and then leaves Harry to his thoughts.
In September, Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia drop Harry off at the train station for Harry to catch his train on platform 9 ¾. But because he is alone, he doesn’t know how to get onto the platform so he asks for help from a nearby woman with several children. It turns out he is supposed to run at the barrier (and basically hope you don’t die). Once he is aboard the train he meets Ronald Weasley and they become fast friends. They meet a know-it-all girl named Hermione and soon decide that she is not worth their while.
Hagrid greets the first year students at the train and takes them in the boats across the lake. Once they arrive at the castle, each student is sorted into one of four houses. This is done by a magical hat being placed on each first years head and it determines where they belong. When it is Harry’s turn he has the entire school’s attention, including the Headmaster (Dumbledore) and the Potions master (Snape). He begs the hat not to send him to Slytherin. So instead, he is placed in Gryffindor. Ron, Hermione and an awkward boy named Neville are also sorted into Gryffindor. While, a nasty boy named Draco Malfoy and his two friends Crabbe and Goyle are placed in Slytherin. (The same house that Voldemort was in.)
After the best dinner Harry has ever had, he and the rest of Gryffindor house head up to their common room which is behind that portrait of the fat lady.
The next day Harry becomes the center of attention, everyone stares and makes comments about him. Also, he and the first years attend their very first potions lesson. This is where Harry learns that Professor Snape absolutely hates him. He asks him impossible questions and expects him to know the answers and even takes points from Gryffindor when Harry doesn’t know the answer. Ron tries to cheer him up and they go to Hagrid’s for tea. While at Hagrid’s Harry finds a newspaper clipping about Gringotts, the wizard bank, being broken into. Harry thinks that it is the same vault that Hagrid emptied the first day they met.
Harry and Draco end up becoming enemies. But Harry triumphs. The first year students are to take flying lessons and Harry is an absolute natural. He and Malfoy have a fight of sorts in the air and their Transfiguration teacher see’s how amazing Harry is on a broom and puts him on the Gryffindor Quidditch team as the Seeker. Draco challenges Harry to a duel but in fact uses it as a set up to get Harry and Ron kicked out of school. (Hermione goes with them, much to the annoyance of the boys.) While on the run from Filch (the caretaker) they run into a locked door on the third floor (which they had previously been forbidden to enter) and come face to face with a three headed dog. They barely escape and return to their common room. Draco is furious when he sees them at school the next day and his anger only heightens when Harry receives his first broomstick. A Nimbus 2000. Later that day Harry receives his first Quidditch lesson from the team captain Oliver Wood. Harry is a natural and Wood is thrilled!
With classes and Quidditch Harry is shocked to find out he’s been at Hogwarts for two months. The first years begin to learn spells (like wingardium leviosa, a levitating spell.) But when Hermione masters the spells the quickest, Ron makes fun of her and she spends the rest of the afternoon in the girls bathroom crying. That night at the Halloween feast, a troll is let into the school and Harry and Ron run to warn Hermione. Only they end up locking the troll in the girls bathroom with her. All three of them are able to defeat the troll. When the teachers come in and start blaming the boys, Hermione lies to protect them. From then on, they’re all very good friends.
The Quidditch season begins and Harry prepares for his first game. He is beyond nervous and when Snape takes his Quidditch book from him, Harry notices that he is limping. He goes to the staffroom to retrieve his book only to find out that Snape had been bitten by the three headed dog. Harry comes up with the theory that Snape let the troll in to try and get past the three headed dog to get to whatever is was protecting. The day of Harry’s first game starts out wonderfully, until Harry loses control of his broom because of a curse. Hermione notices that Snape is watching Harry and speaking under his breath so she assumes that it’s him. She lights his robes on fire and Harry is able to regain control of his broom, barely catching the snitch in time. When Harry, Ron and Hermione tell Hagrid about Snape he is immediately curious to how they found out about his dog Fluffy. But explains to them that Snape is trying to protect what is hidden beneath the school and that it’s between Professor Dumbledore and Mr. Flamel.
With the Christmas holidays right around the corner Harry, Ron and Hermione spend a lot of time in the library trying to find out what could be hidden beneath the school. Christmas arrives and for the first time in Harry’s memory, he has gifts. He opens them to discover an invisibility cloak that belonged to his father. The note attached says “use it well”. And after the Hogwarts Christmas feast, he does. He goes to the restricted section of the library to look for information on Mr. Flamel. He is almost caught by Snape and Filch but squeezes through an open doorway to find a large mirror in the middle of a classroom. As he stepped in front of it he saw not only himself, but an entire crowd of people around him. He realizes that it is his family, and directly behind him are his mother and father. He leaves that night and plans to go back again the next day.
After telling Ron of his adventure they decide to go together. But when Ron stands in front of the mirror, he doesn’t see his family. He’s head boy and quidditch captain. Harry, wanting to see his parents again shoves Ron and there is a scuffle. Mrs. Norris (Mr. Filch’s cat) comes in and they run for it. But Harry is consumed by the mirror. He visits it nightly until Professor Dumbledore catches him. He explains that the mirror shows our deepest desires, but not the future. He tells Harry that the mirror will be moved to a new home and not to go looking for it again. Harry agrees and goes back to regular life. But soon finds that life is not normal. He begins having strange dreams and when he finds out that Snape is refereeing the next quidditch match, he becomes even more worried.
While in the common room with Hermione, Ron and Neville, Harry finds Nicholas Flamel. They find out that he created the Sorcerer’s Stone, which will make the drinker immortal.
As the next quidditch match approaches, Harry becomes more and more worried. Until he finds out that Dumbledore will be at the match. He catches the snitch and Gryffindor is in the lead. But on his way back up to the school he sees Snape going into the forbidden forest and follows him. He listens as Snape threatens Quirrell and then tells Ron and Hermione what he saw.
Soon after, they run into Hagrid who is looking up information about Dragons, only to find out that he has won a dragon Egg. Not only that, he is trying to hatch it, which is illegal. Unfortunately Draco hears them talking about it and informs a teacher, so they have to get rid of the dragon before Hagrid can be found out. Ron is ingured by the dragon and unable to help, so it’s left to Hermione and Harry. Fortunately, Ron’s brother has some friends who agreed to pick up the dragon. But it will be after curfew in the astronomy tower. Harry and Hermione let the dragon go without a hitch, but forget the invisibility cloak at the top of the tower. Draco had told on them and Neville had heard and was trying to warn them. All four of them got detention, not only that, they lost their houses 50 points each.
The night of their detention arrives and they go into the forbidden forest with Hagrid to find an injured unicorn. Harry and Draco find it, but it’s dead, and something is drinking its blood. It comes after Harry but he is rescued by a centaur, and returned to Hagrid. But Harry learned that Voldemort is after the stone.
Harry, Ron and Hermione all make it through their exams successfully, but none of them remember how. After their exams they go to Hagrids only to find out that Hagrid let the secret out of how to get past Fluffy. They run tot tell Dumbledore only to learn that he’s gone to London. They realize that tonight is the night and they plan to stop Snape. After everyone in the common room went to bed, Harry, Ron and Hermione get under the invisibility cloak and are about to head to the third floor corridor. Neville threatens to fight them to keep them out of trouble but Hermione stuns him. One they get to Fluffy, Harry uses a flute to lull Fluffy to sleep and Jump down the trapdoor.
Once they get away from fluffy they have to complete several tasks. The first of which is escaping from Devil’s snare, a deadly plant that tries to kill you. Hermione manages to get them out of that challenge. Next, is a room filled with flying keys and a locked door on the opposite side of the room. Harry masters this fairly easily. Ron is in charge of the next room. It’s a giant chessboard and they have to play the part of the chessmen. Ron sacrifices himself so that Hermione and Harry can go on. Harry and Hermione both stumble across a troll that has been knocked out and continue on. Hermione manages to get past Snape’s logic poem and she returns to help Ron and tell Dumbledore that Harry has gone after the stone. Harry moves forward but doesn’t meet Snape or Voldemort like he thought he would. Professor Quirrell is standing in front of the Mirror of Erised trying to figure out how to get the stone out of it. Harry is confused, he was sure that Snape tried to kill him and truly hates him. Quirrell agrees that Snape hates Harry but he tried to undo the curse on Harry’s broom. Harry learns that Lord Voldemort is with Quirrell at all times. The turban that he wears is to hide Voldemort sticking out of the back of his head. Voldemort has Quirrell use Harry to find the stone. Harry does, and then runs. For the first time in 10 years, Harry and Voldemort are face to face. He offers Harry the chance to be with his mother and father again, but Harry refuses. Quirrell/Voldemort try to kill him, but he cannot hold Harry. By touching him, he gets severe burns, so Harry grabs his face and doesn’t let go until he passes out.
When Harry wakes up with Professor Dumbledore leaning over him. He immediately begins to worry that Voldemort got away and advises Dumbledore to go after him. Dumbledore tells him that the stone has been destroyed and that the reason Quirrell/Voldemort could not touch Harry was because Harry’s mother died to protect him, and that it left a powerful mark of protection. Love.
Ron and Hermione come to visit Harry and he told them what Dumbledore had shared with him. Unfortunately, because of the points lost, Gryffindor is in last place for the house cup, until Dumble gives points to four lucky Gryffindor’s. They win the house cup and they all board the train and return home. Harry can’t wait to come back to Hogwarts after the summer.
Who would I recommend this to?
EVERYONE!!!
Potential Problems:
It is somewhat scary and involves witches which bothers some parents. They believe it’s an evil book.
My reaction:
This is my favorite book of the semester, I think J.K. Rowling is an amazing author and I can’t wait to read more of her books.
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Love That Dog
Title: Love that Dog
Author: Sharon Creech
Publisher: HarperColins
Copyright: 2001 by Sharon Creech
Ages: 9-12
Pages: 128
Genre: Poetry
Summary:
Jack does not like poetry. Poetry is for girls. He doesn’t understand how it is important and finds it to be a waste of time until his teacher starts to take notice of his poetry and posting it on the board. He writes about a blue car that speeds down his street like it has somewhere important to go. (We find out later that this car killed his dog.) He writes about his dog Sky, that he used to have. He and his father went to the animal shelter and picked out a yellow dog who he names Sky. Sky becomes his inspiration as he writes. He makes a poem to actually look like Sky. He begins to enjoy more and more poems and even develops a fondness for a certain author. Mr. Walter Dean Myers. He (Mr. Meyers) is invited to the school and Jack is able to meet him, along with the rest of the students. Jack writes to Mr. Myers and includes his poem about Sky that was inspired by Mr. Walter Dean Myers.
Recommendations:
I would recommend this to all teachers (2nd or 3rd grade) about to introduce poetry to their class. It’s a great starter. It shows that poetry can be whatever you want.
Potential Problems:
Sky getting hit by a car is very sad.
My Reaction:
I liked it, it gave me a new view on poetry and what it really is.
Author: Sharon Creech
Publisher: HarperColins
Copyright: 2001 by Sharon Creech
Ages: 9-12
Pages: 128
Genre: Poetry
Summary:
Jack does not like poetry. Poetry is for girls. He doesn’t understand how it is important and finds it to be a waste of time until his teacher starts to take notice of his poetry and posting it on the board. He writes about a blue car that speeds down his street like it has somewhere important to go. (We find out later that this car killed his dog.) He writes about his dog Sky, that he used to have. He and his father went to the animal shelter and picked out a yellow dog who he names Sky. Sky becomes his inspiration as he writes. He makes a poem to actually look like Sky. He begins to enjoy more and more poems and even develops a fondness for a certain author. Mr. Walter Dean Myers. He (Mr. Meyers) is invited to the school and Jack is able to meet him, along with the rest of the students. Jack writes to Mr. Myers and includes his poem about Sky that was inspired by Mr. Walter Dean Myers.
Recommendations:
I would recommend this to all teachers (2nd or 3rd grade) about to introduce poetry to their class. It’s a great starter. It shows that poetry can be whatever you want.
Potential Problems:
Sky getting hit by a car is very sad.
My Reaction:
I liked it, it gave me a new view on poetry and what it really is.
Frank was a Monster who wanted to Dance
Title: Frank was a Monster who wanted to Dance
Author: Keith Graves
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Copyright: 1999 by Keith Graves
Ages: 4-8
Pages: 32
Genre: Picture book
Summary:
Frank was a monster who wanted to dance. He puts on his hat and shoes, and puts ants in his pants. He drove to the theatre and got on stage. The audience loved him! He danced until his brain fell out of his head, his eyeball unscrewed and his arm fell off. The audience started to leave. He danced until his head fell off and then he said to himself “I might be a monster, but man can I dance.
Who would I recommend this to?
I would recommend this book to kids who like dancing and/or monsters. This is my daughter’s favorite book right now. So it seems like girls and boys both will like it.
Potential Problems:
It could be considered gross or scary for children.
My reaction:
At first I thought it was gross, but now I think it’s a cute and fun book.
Author: Keith Graves
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Copyright: 1999 by Keith Graves
Ages: 4-8
Pages: 32
Genre: Picture book
Summary:
Frank was a monster who wanted to dance. He puts on his hat and shoes, and puts ants in his pants. He drove to the theatre and got on stage. The audience loved him! He danced until his brain fell out of his head, his eyeball unscrewed and his arm fell off. The audience started to leave. He danced until his head fell off and then he said to himself “I might be a monster, but man can I dance.
Who would I recommend this to?
I would recommend this book to kids who like dancing and/or monsters. This is my daughter’s favorite book right now. So it seems like girls and boys both will like it.
Potential Problems:
It could be considered gross or scary for children.
My reaction:
At first I thought it was gross, but now I think it’s a cute and fun book.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
One Tiny Turtle
Title: One Tiny Turtle
Author: Nicola Davies
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Copyright: 2001 by Nicola Davies
Pages: 32
Ages: 4-8
Genre: Non-fiction
Summary:
Out in the middle of the ocean is a tangle of seaweed and driftwood. This is where the baby loggerhead sea turtles live. They have shells as soft as old leather and feed on tiny shrimp and crabs. The turtle takes quick breaths above the water because it is a retile and cannot breathe under water like a fish can. After several years the turtle will appear closer to land with her shell as tough as armor and she comes to eat crabs. She spends most of her time looking for food. In the summer she finds clams and shrimp, while in the winter she eats among corals. The Loggerhead travels thousands of miles but is rarely seen in the ocean. In the summer, she will appear on the shore that she was born to lay her own eggs. She will wait until night so that she doesn’t overheat during the day. She finds a place high on the shore where the sea won’t reach. She digs a steep and deep hole and lays her eggs. Then she covers them with sand to hide them from predators. A mother will sometimes make as many as ten nests in a single season. Before the summer is over the baby turtles climb out of their shells and push their way out of the sand. They have to be quick to get to the sea because predators are waiting for an easy meal. Only one turtle makes it to the sea. She swims away and will someday return to the beach where she was born.
Recommendations:
I would recommend this to anyone who is interested in animals, especially sea turtles. It’s very informative and has very cute pictures. It doesn’t sugarcoat it and tells it like it is, that some of the babies die, but it doesn’t dwell on the fact either.
Potential Problems:
It could make some children sad because of all the baby turtles that die. But I think that the children will more likely focus on the turtle that survived.
My Reaction:
I liked this book, the illustrations were really cute and helped with the story. I’ve always loved sea turtles and this was a nice, cute book to help me learn a little bit more.
Author: Nicola Davies
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Copyright: 2001 by Nicola Davies
Pages: 32
Ages: 4-8
Genre: Non-fiction
Summary:
Out in the middle of the ocean is a tangle of seaweed and driftwood. This is where the baby loggerhead sea turtles live. They have shells as soft as old leather and feed on tiny shrimp and crabs. The turtle takes quick breaths above the water because it is a retile and cannot breathe under water like a fish can. After several years the turtle will appear closer to land with her shell as tough as armor and she comes to eat crabs. She spends most of her time looking for food. In the summer she finds clams and shrimp, while in the winter she eats among corals. The Loggerhead travels thousands of miles but is rarely seen in the ocean. In the summer, she will appear on the shore that she was born to lay her own eggs. She will wait until night so that she doesn’t overheat during the day. She finds a place high on the shore where the sea won’t reach. She digs a steep and deep hole and lays her eggs. Then she covers them with sand to hide them from predators. A mother will sometimes make as many as ten nests in a single season. Before the summer is over the baby turtles climb out of their shells and push their way out of the sand. They have to be quick to get to the sea because predators are waiting for an easy meal. Only one turtle makes it to the sea. She swims away and will someday return to the beach where she was born.
Recommendations:
I would recommend this to anyone who is interested in animals, especially sea turtles. It’s very informative and has very cute pictures. It doesn’t sugarcoat it and tells it like it is, that some of the babies die, but it doesn’t dwell on the fact either.
Potential Problems:
It could make some children sad because of all the baby turtles that die. But I think that the children will more likely focus on the turtle that survived.
My Reaction:
I liked this book, the illustrations were really cute and helped with the story. I’ve always loved sea turtles and this was a nice, cute book to help me learn a little bit more.
King Midas and the Golden Touch
Title: King Midas and the Golden Touch
Author: Charlotte Craft
Publisher: Harper Collins
Copyright: 1999 by Charlotte Craft
Pages: 32
Ages: 4-8
Genre: Picture
Summary:
King Midas is a powerful king who has a great love of gold. The only thing that he loves more is his daughter Aurelia. He used to love roses as much as he loves gold. One day a man is found in his rose garden and is arrested and brought to him. King Midas releases him and allows him to dine with him. The next day while counting his gold the man reappears and grants him one wish. King Midas wishes for everything he touches to turn to gold. The man grants his wish. And at first the King is excited and happy. He is ecstatic that he is the richest man in the world. He decides to surprise his daughter by turning all of her beloved roses to gold, but this greatly upsets her. She can no longer smell the beautiful fragrance. He is sad that his daughter is upset but still happy that he has so much gold. That is, until he discovers that he cannot eat because everything he touches turns to gold. Aurelia is upset that her father is so distraught. She goes to comfort him, only to turn to gold as well. The King is beside himself. He has no idea what to do. The man who granted his wish reappears and tells him to undo everything that has happened he needs to wash in the river on his kingdom’s border. He needs to take a pitcher of water and sprinkle water on everything he’s changed. He leaves immediately and bathes in the water. He touches a flower to be sure that it worked and then heads home to sprinkle water on everything he changed. The first thing he does is sprinkle water on his daughter, then they go together to fix everything else. Except for one rose as a reminder to the king.
Recommendations:
I would recommend this book to everyone. It has a great moral to the story. That money isn’t everything. Family is more important that riches.
Potential Problems:
It could be scary for children with the idea of turning to gold.
My Reaction:
I didn’t particularly like this book. I thought the illustrations were beautiful but I don’t really like the story. It’s probably because I’ve heard it so many times throughout my life and I’m a little bored with it.
Author: Charlotte Craft
Publisher: Harper Collins
Copyright: 1999 by Charlotte Craft
Pages: 32
Ages: 4-8
Genre: Picture
Summary:
King Midas is a powerful king who has a great love of gold. The only thing that he loves more is his daughter Aurelia. He used to love roses as much as he loves gold. One day a man is found in his rose garden and is arrested and brought to him. King Midas releases him and allows him to dine with him. The next day while counting his gold the man reappears and grants him one wish. King Midas wishes for everything he touches to turn to gold. The man grants his wish. And at first the King is excited and happy. He is ecstatic that he is the richest man in the world. He decides to surprise his daughter by turning all of her beloved roses to gold, but this greatly upsets her. She can no longer smell the beautiful fragrance. He is sad that his daughter is upset but still happy that he has so much gold. That is, until he discovers that he cannot eat because everything he touches turns to gold. Aurelia is upset that her father is so distraught. She goes to comfort him, only to turn to gold as well. The King is beside himself. He has no idea what to do. The man who granted his wish reappears and tells him to undo everything that has happened he needs to wash in the river on his kingdom’s border. He needs to take a pitcher of water and sprinkle water on everything he’s changed. He leaves immediately and bathes in the water. He touches a flower to be sure that it worked and then heads home to sprinkle water on everything he changed. The first thing he does is sprinkle water on his daughter, then they go together to fix everything else. Except for one rose as a reminder to the king.
Recommendations:
I would recommend this book to everyone. It has a great moral to the story. That money isn’t everything. Family is more important that riches.
Potential Problems:
It could be scary for children with the idea of turning to gold.
My Reaction:
I didn’t particularly like this book. I thought the illustrations were beautiful but I don’t really like the story. It’s probably because I’ve heard it so many times throughout my life and I’m a little bored with it.
Snowboarding
Title: Healthy for Life: Snowboarding
Author: Jim Fitzpatrick
Publisher: Cherry Lake Pub.
Copyright: 2008 by Cherry Lake Publishing
Pages:32 Pages
Ages: 9-12
Genre: Non-fiction
Summary:
Snowboarding is one of the fastest growing sports. Snowboarding is very popular but has only recently become an allowed sport at ski resorts. It was at first thought to be too dangerous. It is also closely related to skateboarding and surfing. In the 1960’s Sherman Popper put two skis together and called it the snurfer. Within 5 years over half a million snurfers had been sold. Within 10 years a new type of snowboard was created to more resemble what we use today.
This book shows how to choose a board. There are many different types of snowboards available. So many that everyone is able to find a snowboard that fits them. Most people start with shorter boards because they’re easier to maneuver. Before you’re able to snowboard you’ll need a lot of equipment. A snowboard, boots, bindings. Snowboarders need several layers of clothing to keep warm. The first day on the slopes is often the hardest. It is advised that you take lessons before heading out on your own.
Snowboarding Safety is very important. Falling is fairly common and most injuries occur from falling on ice. It is important to learn how to turn, slow down and stop. Safety equipment is highly recommended, especially for beginners. Helmets are a must. You’re going to fall, so fall properly. Think stop-drop-roll. You want to roll out your fall to keep from injury. Whether is another thing to know for safety. Weather conditions are essential to know. If it’s too foggy you don’t want to board, you could hit a tree.
If you’re a beginner, start with the easier runs. Work your way up to the harder stuff.
Snowboarders need the right environment, mountains. But not just any mountain, it can’t be too hazardous but it can’t be a hill either. Resorts are a good choice but a lot of snowboarders find them to be too mainstream and go for a more extreme approach. Some are dropped on a mountaintop and they board their way down the mountain (this is an extreme way to board.)
Snowboarders come from around the world. For them it’s a constant mental and physical challenge. Experts recommend training in the off season to stay in shape. Aerobics are a great choice. Many snowboarders believe that snowboarding can be one of life’s greatest joys.
Recommendations:
I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking into snowboarding as a sport.
Potential Problems:
I do not see any problems with this book.
My Reaction:
I thought this was a great and informative book. It didn’t just tell you that snowboarding is great, it told you the risks, the equipment that you’d need and the training required. For the equipment, it even gives you a price range in case this is a sport you cannot afford. I thought that this book was spectacular and I wish I’d found it earlier. I learned a lot.
Author: Jim Fitzpatrick
Publisher: Cherry Lake Pub.
Copyright: 2008 by Cherry Lake Publishing
Pages:32 Pages
Ages: 9-12
Genre: Non-fiction
Summary:
Snowboarding is one of the fastest growing sports. Snowboarding is very popular but has only recently become an allowed sport at ski resorts. It was at first thought to be too dangerous. It is also closely related to skateboarding and surfing. In the 1960’s Sherman Popper put two skis together and called it the snurfer. Within 5 years over half a million snurfers had been sold. Within 10 years a new type of snowboard was created to more resemble what we use today.
This book shows how to choose a board. There are many different types of snowboards available. So many that everyone is able to find a snowboard that fits them. Most people start with shorter boards because they’re easier to maneuver. Before you’re able to snowboard you’ll need a lot of equipment. A snowboard, boots, bindings. Snowboarders need several layers of clothing to keep warm. The first day on the slopes is often the hardest. It is advised that you take lessons before heading out on your own.
Snowboarding Safety is very important. Falling is fairly common and most injuries occur from falling on ice. It is important to learn how to turn, slow down and stop. Safety equipment is highly recommended, especially for beginners. Helmets are a must. You’re going to fall, so fall properly. Think stop-drop-roll. You want to roll out your fall to keep from injury. Whether is another thing to know for safety. Weather conditions are essential to know. If it’s too foggy you don’t want to board, you could hit a tree.
If you’re a beginner, start with the easier runs. Work your way up to the harder stuff.
Snowboarders need the right environment, mountains. But not just any mountain, it can’t be too hazardous but it can’t be a hill either. Resorts are a good choice but a lot of snowboarders find them to be too mainstream and go for a more extreme approach. Some are dropped on a mountaintop and they board their way down the mountain (this is an extreme way to board.)
Snowboarders come from around the world. For them it’s a constant mental and physical challenge. Experts recommend training in the off season to stay in shape. Aerobics are a great choice. Many snowboarders believe that snowboarding can be one of life’s greatest joys.
Recommendations:
I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking into snowboarding as a sport.
Potential Problems:
I do not see any problems with this book.
My Reaction:
I thought this was a great and informative book. It didn’t just tell you that snowboarding is great, it told you the risks, the equipment that you’d need and the training required. For the equipment, it even gives you a price range in case this is a sport you cannot afford. I thought that this book was spectacular and I wish I’d found it earlier. I learned a lot.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Children Just Like Me
Title: Children Like Me
Author: Barnabas & Anabel Kindersley
Publisher: DK Children
Copyright: 1995 Dorling Kindersley Limited, London
Pages: 80 Pages
Ages: 9-12
Genre: Non-Fiction
Summary:
This book is about children across the world. It has each child talk about how each of them lives, in their homes, what their family is like and their school life. Each child talks about what they wear and why, their favorite foods. They talk about their favorite things and chores that they have. Each child is from a different place. They come from Africa, India, Mexico, The United States, Thailand, Ethiopia and several others places. It emphasizes how each child is different but at the same time it doesn’t dwell on the bad things. The facts are stated and it’s done very well.
Who would I recommend this to?
Everyone needs to read this book. It’s a great representation of children in different countries.
My Reaction:
I like learning about the different children and their cultures. I was amazed at some of the things that the children ate and where they lived. I liked how there were quotes from the children, that it wasn’t just an adult’s point of view.
Potential Problems:
Some parents might take issue with the fact that some of the fathers have more than one wife at the same time.
Author: Barnabas & Anabel Kindersley
Publisher: DK Children
Copyright: 1995 Dorling Kindersley Limited, London
Pages: 80 Pages
Ages: 9-12
Genre: Non-Fiction
Summary:
This book is about children across the world. It has each child talk about how each of them lives, in their homes, what their family is like and their school life. Each child talks about what they wear and why, their favorite foods. They talk about their favorite things and chores that they have. Each child is from a different place. They come from Africa, India, Mexico, The United States, Thailand, Ethiopia and several others places. It emphasizes how each child is different but at the same time it doesn’t dwell on the bad things. The facts are stated and it’s done very well.
Who would I recommend this to?
Everyone needs to read this book. It’s a great representation of children in different countries.
My Reaction:
I like learning about the different children and their cultures. I was amazed at some of the things that the children ate and where they lived. I liked how there were quotes from the children, that it wasn’t just an adult’s point of view.
Potential Problems:
Some parents might take issue with the fact that some of the fathers have more than one wife at the same time.
Stargirl
Title: Stargirl
Author: Jerry Spinelli
Publisher: Dell Laurel-Leaf
Copyright: 2000 Jerry Spinelli
Pages: 186
Ages: Young Adult
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Summary:
Leo is relatively popular. He is a behind the scenes kind of guy. But then Stargirl, the school oddity, comes along. From day one she is considered strange. Who would name their child Stargirl? Why does she play the ukulele and sing Happy Birthday in the lunch room? And why does she have a pet rat?
There are many divisions of kids at the school. the popular kids are, Hallari Kimble and Wayne Parr. Hallari is rude and loud and dislikes Stargirl from the beginning. She makes up different scenarios about her and spreads them around. Everyone starts to believe that she is a plant, and actress and she is completely fake. Leo on the other hand, secretly admires Stargirl. He and his friend Kevin decide to have her on their show “Hot Seat”. But soon after this decision is made, Leo changes his mind. He begins to care about Stargirl.
When football season starts, Stargirl really begins to shine. She completely disrupts the football game but with that, everyone cheers and the first sniff of school spirit in years is apparent. The head cheerleader asks Stargirl to join the squad and she accepts. She continues to play the ukulele and sing happy birthday to everyone. She continues to be herself. In fact, when it is Hallari’s birthday, Hallari threatens her, telling her not to sing to her. Stargirl agrees and instead sings Happy Birthday to Leo. Leo decides it’s time to go visit Archie.
Archie is a bone collector. Not in some creepy way, but as a paleontologist. He lived near the school to be around children since he and his deceased wife had none of their own. Archie is considered to be very wise, (probably because he used to be a teacher) even if he’s a little odd at times. Every Saturday people would show up to be taught by Archie. This Saturday, it was Leo and Kevin. They spent all day with Archie, trying to figure out Stargirl. They learn that Archie has been teaching her for years! And that she frequently changes her name to whatever suits her. Archie tells them that she is one of them, and that she is the most natural, non-conforming.
Before anyone knows what’s happening, Stargirl is the most popular person in school. She is still looked at as odd, but she is never alone. There is always someone around her. Dori Dilson, a girl who writes poetry becomes Stargirls best friend. She becomes so popular that people begin to imitate her. They buy pet rats, and play ukulele’s in the lunch room. She is soon revered instead of seen as odd.
After Thanksgiving, Stargirl enters a oratorical contest and wins. She is accepted to the state finals in April.
She woke up the school. School spirit finally existed and people began to see each other. Identity was created, people began to care and people were accepted. Leo feels that it’s time to put Stargirl on the show. She accepts and the preparations begin. But this is when things start to go downhill. The way she says the Pledge of Allegiance is criticized, she goes to a funeral she wasn’t invited to and is kicked out, and she gives a bicycle to a young boy who wrecked his own, this causes a family squabble and the bike is then thrown away. None of this has near the impact of the cheerleading and basketball games. She not only cheered for her own team, but the opposing team as well. On one such occasion she is tricked by her team and is left at the opposing school with no ride home (2 hours away) and has to get a ride home with the custodian. The team lies and tells her it was a mistake, and unfortunately she believes them.
Before Leo knows it, it’s time for the show. Instead of being a nice, friendly and sometimes embarrassing show, everyone but Leo attacks her. They criticize the way she looks and acts and treat her horribly. And things don’t stop once the show is over. Stargirl continues her life as normal, but her one big mistake is that she runs out to help the opposing teams injured player. From then on, everyone is against her.
Sometime later Leo opens a school notebook to find a valentine from Stargirl, it says “I love you”. Leo begins to notice her even more, as Stargirl begins to talk to him even more.
Stargirl is kicked off the Cheerleading team, but it’s not as bad as it could be. People start to call Leo Starboy and he is secretly thrilled! He likes Stargirl. He walks to her house one night and passes it several times. He walks and walks until Stargirl comes outside. He hides behind her car and waits. Of course, she knows he’s there and begins to talk to him. She introduces her rat, Cinnamon and Leo is surprised to find that he likes him. But things are different, Leo doesn’t like Stargirl, he loves her. They begin spending more time together and she takes him to her enchanted spot in the middle of the desert. They walk for a long time, talking. Finally, they arrive at Stargirl’s secret spot. They spend a lot of time doing “nothing” and eventually head home.
Leo and Stargirl are left out. They are completely alone at school. No one looked, spoke or even smiled at them. They were being officially shunned. Stargirl is not affected at all, she practices for her speech tournament, but Leo is bothered. He goes to see Archie but doesn’t get much headway.
Stargirl teaches Leo many things. She was always showing him things that he would never have noticed without her. She opened his eyes to many many things. They start making deliveries to people who need an extra boost, or are sick, or have a birthday. All without receiving recognition. They found out who to take things to by reading the paper and checking bulletin boards. They would people watch and play games. Leo meets her parents and Stargirl shows him her room. He is intrigued by her happy wagon. When it is filled with stones she is happy, and when it is nearly empty, she is sad. They spent all Saturday together doing things for other people. Leo is amazed with her. That night, they have their first kiss. People continue to shun them and Leo is more affected than ever. Then one day Stargirl announces on a bed sheet “Stargirl love Leo”, it bothers Leo. He finally realizes how completely alone the two of them are and he can’t stand it.
Leo finally explains to her that she needs to be normal, that they can’t be together unless she becomes normal. So she does. She becomes Susan. She is subdued and quiet. She doesn’t decorate her desk or play the ukulele and Leo is proud of her. But they are still ignored. Everyone ignores them.
Stargirl continues to practice her speech and tries to fit in. Then she has a vision that everything will turn out okay and that she is going to win the speech contest. She tells Leo, “I’m going to be popular!” Leo believed her.
The day of the contest Leo and Susan are driven to it. They discuss the contest and Leo tries to discourage her from getting her hopes up. He tells her that she’s not the only one in the contest and that she may not win. She ignores him and continues her discussion about how she is going to win and be a hero. She wins the competition and receives a standing ovation! She receives her trophy and they return home but her return is not what she was expecting. She remains unpopular and Susan disappears. Stargirl comes back. Leo thinks she’s giving up and basically gives up on her. He hears people insult her but doesn’t do anything to prevent it. There is a dance coming up, and Stargirl tells Leo that she knows he won’t ask her and continues being herself. She goes to the ball, while Leo does not. Leo rode on his bicycle watching the ball from a distance. Stargirl arrived in a bicycle side car wearing a beautiful strapless, yellow gown. She goes to the ball completely alone. She did what everyone else did, she danced. She danced fast and she danced slow. Everyone ignores her until a boy named Raymond Studemacher dances with her. After she dances with him she requests the bunny hop. No one is sure how it started but the ice is broken and almost every couple joins in. The music stops and Stargirl keeps everyone going. The music starts up again and Stargirl leads everyone off the dance floor and around town. After what seems like hours they return with Stargirl in the lead. When they return Hillari slaps Stargirl and instead of fighting back Stargirl kisses her on the cheek and leaves. Dori Dilson picked her up and that was the last anyone ever saw of Stargirl.
Fifteen years pass and Leo still thinks about that time. During the summer after the ball Leo goes to Stargirls house to find a for sale sign. He asks Archie and he tells Leo that she and her family moved to Minnesota. Archie explains that Stargirl was a Star person, that they don’t come along everyday. The next year Leo goes to see Archie, where he shows Leo Stargirls office. It was his old shed.
Leo continues to visit Archie throughout his college years. Until one day he arrives and finds that Archie is gone.
Every five years the school has a reunion but Leo never attends. He keeps in touch with Kevin and finds out that people often talk about Stargirl. Anytime Leo goes back to town he drives by her house. He continues some of the things that Stargirl showed him, like walking in the rain without an umbrella. He also reads the fillers in the newspapers. He thinks about Stargirl often and remembers the year they had together.
Who would I recommend this to?
I love love love this book. I would recommend this book to everyone! This isn’t just a great book. It shows what true friendship is and how the pressures of high school can challenge that.
Potential Problems:
I don’t see anything wrong with this book. I think it’s a fairly accurate account of High School.
My Reaction:
This is my new favorite book! I love how Stargirl doesn’t seem to care what other people think. I would love to be more like her. She’s so kind and thoughtful and very unique!
Author: Jerry Spinelli
Publisher: Dell Laurel-Leaf
Copyright: 2000 Jerry Spinelli
Pages: 186
Ages: Young Adult
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Summary:
Leo is relatively popular. He is a behind the scenes kind of guy. But then Stargirl, the school oddity, comes along. From day one she is considered strange. Who would name their child Stargirl? Why does she play the ukulele and sing Happy Birthday in the lunch room? And why does she have a pet rat?
There are many divisions of kids at the school. the popular kids are, Hallari Kimble and Wayne Parr. Hallari is rude and loud and dislikes Stargirl from the beginning. She makes up different scenarios about her and spreads them around. Everyone starts to believe that she is a plant, and actress and she is completely fake. Leo on the other hand, secretly admires Stargirl. He and his friend Kevin decide to have her on their show “Hot Seat”. But soon after this decision is made, Leo changes his mind. He begins to care about Stargirl.
When football season starts, Stargirl really begins to shine. She completely disrupts the football game but with that, everyone cheers and the first sniff of school spirit in years is apparent. The head cheerleader asks Stargirl to join the squad and she accepts. She continues to play the ukulele and sing happy birthday to everyone. She continues to be herself. In fact, when it is Hallari’s birthday, Hallari threatens her, telling her not to sing to her. Stargirl agrees and instead sings Happy Birthday to Leo. Leo decides it’s time to go visit Archie.
Archie is a bone collector. Not in some creepy way, but as a paleontologist. He lived near the school to be around children since he and his deceased wife had none of their own. Archie is considered to be very wise, (probably because he used to be a teacher) even if he’s a little odd at times. Every Saturday people would show up to be taught by Archie. This Saturday, it was Leo and Kevin. They spent all day with Archie, trying to figure out Stargirl. They learn that Archie has been teaching her for years! And that she frequently changes her name to whatever suits her. Archie tells them that she is one of them, and that she is the most natural, non-conforming.
Before anyone knows what’s happening, Stargirl is the most popular person in school. She is still looked at as odd, but she is never alone. There is always someone around her. Dori Dilson, a girl who writes poetry becomes Stargirls best friend. She becomes so popular that people begin to imitate her. They buy pet rats, and play ukulele’s in the lunch room. She is soon revered instead of seen as odd.
After Thanksgiving, Stargirl enters a oratorical contest and wins. She is accepted to the state finals in April.
She woke up the school. School spirit finally existed and people began to see each other. Identity was created, people began to care and people were accepted. Leo feels that it’s time to put Stargirl on the show. She accepts and the preparations begin. But this is when things start to go downhill. The way she says the Pledge of Allegiance is criticized, she goes to a funeral she wasn’t invited to and is kicked out, and she gives a bicycle to a young boy who wrecked his own, this causes a family squabble and the bike is then thrown away. None of this has near the impact of the cheerleading and basketball games. She not only cheered for her own team, but the opposing team as well. On one such occasion she is tricked by her team and is left at the opposing school with no ride home (2 hours away) and has to get a ride home with the custodian. The team lies and tells her it was a mistake, and unfortunately she believes them.
Before Leo knows it, it’s time for the show. Instead of being a nice, friendly and sometimes embarrassing show, everyone but Leo attacks her. They criticize the way she looks and acts and treat her horribly. And things don’t stop once the show is over. Stargirl continues her life as normal, but her one big mistake is that she runs out to help the opposing teams injured player. From then on, everyone is against her.
Sometime later Leo opens a school notebook to find a valentine from Stargirl, it says “I love you”. Leo begins to notice her even more, as Stargirl begins to talk to him even more.
Stargirl is kicked off the Cheerleading team, but it’s not as bad as it could be. People start to call Leo Starboy and he is secretly thrilled! He likes Stargirl. He walks to her house one night and passes it several times. He walks and walks until Stargirl comes outside. He hides behind her car and waits. Of course, she knows he’s there and begins to talk to him. She introduces her rat, Cinnamon and Leo is surprised to find that he likes him. But things are different, Leo doesn’t like Stargirl, he loves her. They begin spending more time together and she takes him to her enchanted spot in the middle of the desert. They walk for a long time, talking. Finally, they arrive at Stargirl’s secret spot. They spend a lot of time doing “nothing” and eventually head home.
Leo and Stargirl are left out. They are completely alone at school. No one looked, spoke or even smiled at them. They were being officially shunned. Stargirl is not affected at all, she practices for her speech tournament, but Leo is bothered. He goes to see Archie but doesn’t get much headway.
Stargirl teaches Leo many things. She was always showing him things that he would never have noticed without her. She opened his eyes to many many things. They start making deliveries to people who need an extra boost, or are sick, or have a birthday. All without receiving recognition. They found out who to take things to by reading the paper and checking bulletin boards. They would people watch and play games. Leo meets her parents and Stargirl shows him her room. He is intrigued by her happy wagon. When it is filled with stones she is happy, and when it is nearly empty, she is sad. They spent all Saturday together doing things for other people. Leo is amazed with her. That night, they have their first kiss. People continue to shun them and Leo is more affected than ever. Then one day Stargirl announces on a bed sheet “Stargirl love Leo”, it bothers Leo. He finally realizes how completely alone the two of them are and he can’t stand it.
Leo finally explains to her that she needs to be normal, that they can’t be together unless she becomes normal. So she does. She becomes Susan. She is subdued and quiet. She doesn’t decorate her desk or play the ukulele and Leo is proud of her. But they are still ignored. Everyone ignores them.
Stargirl continues to practice her speech and tries to fit in. Then she has a vision that everything will turn out okay and that she is going to win the speech contest. She tells Leo, “I’m going to be popular!” Leo believed her.
The day of the contest Leo and Susan are driven to it. They discuss the contest and Leo tries to discourage her from getting her hopes up. He tells her that she’s not the only one in the contest and that she may not win. She ignores him and continues her discussion about how she is going to win and be a hero. She wins the competition and receives a standing ovation! She receives her trophy and they return home but her return is not what she was expecting. She remains unpopular and Susan disappears. Stargirl comes back. Leo thinks she’s giving up and basically gives up on her. He hears people insult her but doesn’t do anything to prevent it. There is a dance coming up, and Stargirl tells Leo that she knows he won’t ask her and continues being herself. She goes to the ball, while Leo does not. Leo rode on his bicycle watching the ball from a distance. Stargirl arrived in a bicycle side car wearing a beautiful strapless, yellow gown. She goes to the ball completely alone. She did what everyone else did, she danced. She danced fast and she danced slow. Everyone ignores her until a boy named Raymond Studemacher dances with her. After she dances with him she requests the bunny hop. No one is sure how it started but the ice is broken and almost every couple joins in. The music stops and Stargirl keeps everyone going. The music starts up again and Stargirl leads everyone off the dance floor and around town. After what seems like hours they return with Stargirl in the lead. When they return Hillari slaps Stargirl and instead of fighting back Stargirl kisses her on the cheek and leaves. Dori Dilson picked her up and that was the last anyone ever saw of Stargirl.
Fifteen years pass and Leo still thinks about that time. During the summer after the ball Leo goes to Stargirls house to find a for sale sign. He asks Archie and he tells Leo that she and her family moved to Minnesota. Archie explains that Stargirl was a Star person, that they don’t come along everyday. The next year Leo goes to see Archie, where he shows Leo Stargirls office. It was his old shed.
Leo continues to visit Archie throughout his college years. Until one day he arrives and finds that Archie is gone.
Every five years the school has a reunion but Leo never attends. He keeps in touch with Kevin and finds out that people often talk about Stargirl. Anytime Leo goes back to town he drives by her house. He continues some of the things that Stargirl showed him, like walking in the rain without an umbrella. He also reads the fillers in the newspapers. He thinks about Stargirl often and remembers the year they had together.
Who would I recommend this to?
I love love love this book. I would recommend this book to everyone! This isn’t just a great book. It shows what true friendship is and how the pressures of high school can challenge that.
Potential Problems:
I don’t see anything wrong with this book. I think it’s a fairly accurate account of High School.
My Reaction:
This is my new favorite book! I love how Stargirl doesn’t seem to care what other people think. I would love to be more like her. She’s so kind and thoughtful and very unique!
Thursday, March 4, 2010
The Story of Ruby Bridges
Title: The Story of Ruby Bridges
Author: Robert Coles
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Copyright: 1995 by Robert Coles
Pages: 32 Pages
Ages: 4-8
Genre: Non-Fiction
Summary:
Ruby Bridges was born in Mississippi. She and her family were very very poor. Her father’s job was to pick crops, but he lost his job. When Ruby turned 4 she and her family moved. In 1957 they moved to New Orleans. Her father worked all day as a janitor while her mother watched the children. Then at night her mother would scrub floors at the local bank. The family would go to church every Sunday.
When Ruby was 6 years old she was sent to school with white children. Her parents were very proud of her and they prayed for her at church. On her first day of school an angry mob is there to greet her. They did not want a black child to attend the school where their children attend.
The President of the United States sends U.S. Marshals to escort Ruby to school for her protection. The mob stays for months terrorizing Ruby. She would experience their hateful remarks everyday. When Ruby would walk to school, she would start by walking slowly and then when she reached the crowd she would speed up and go through the front doors without saying a word. She attended school for months alone, with only her teacher. She began learning to read and write and progressed quickly. Her teacher, Mrs. Henry was curious to how Ruby was really feeling. One day Mrs. Henry watched Ruby stop in the middle of the mob standing completely still. It looked like she was talking to the mob. The Marshal’s tried to get Ruby to move along but she wouldn’t budge. Then she suddenly walked inside. When Ruby arrived in the classroom Mrs. Henry asked her why she stopped to talk to the mob. Ruby replied that she didn’t, she was praying for them. Everyday on her way to school she would pray for them, but that day she had forgotten until she was among the crowd. She said her prayer twice a day, before and after school.
Recommendations:
I would recommend this book to everyone. I think everyone needs to know what has happened in the past, the good and the bad.
Potential Problems:
This could be potentially problematic for parents who don’t want their children to know about racism and that people could want to hurt children. It’s a touchy subject and needs to be handled with care.
My Reaction:
I thought that this book handled the topic very well. It was true, but it wasn’t scary. It showed what happened and was able to clearly describe that way things were back then. It’s also nice that it’s a book with the child as a hero.
Author: Robert Coles
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Copyright: 1995 by Robert Coles
Pages: 32 Pages
Ages: 4-8
Genre: Non-Fiction
Summary:
Ruby Bridges was born in Mississippi. She and her family were very very poor. Her father’s job was to pick crops, but he lost his job. When Ruby turned 4 she and her family moved. In 1957 they moved to New Orleans. Her father worked all day as a janitor while her mother watched the children. Then at night her mother would scrub floors at the local bank. The family would go to church every Sunday.
When Ruby was 6 years old she was sent to school with white children. Her parents were very proud of her and they prayed for her at church. On her first day of school an angry mob is there to greet her. They did not want a black child to attend the school where their children attend.
The President of the United States sends U.S. Marshals to escort Ruby to school for her protection. The mob stays for months terrorizing Ruby. She would experience their hateful remarks everyday. When Ruby would walk to school, she would start by walking slowly and then when she reached the crowd she would speed up and go through the front doors without saying a word. She attended school for months alone, with only her teacher. She began learning to read and write and progressed quickly. Her teacher, Mrs. Henry was curious to how Ruby was really feeling. One day Mrs. Henry watched Ruby stop in the middle of the mob standing completely still. It looked like she was talking to the mob. The Marshal’s tried to get Ruby to move along but she wouldn’t budge. Then she suddenly walked inside. When Ruby arrived in the classroom Mrs. Henry asked her why she stopped to talk to the mob. Ruby replied that she didn’t, she was praying for them. Everyday on her way to school she would pray for them, but that day she had forgotten until she was among the crowd. She said her prayer twice a day, before and after school.
Recommendations:
I would recommend this book to everyone. I think everyone needs to know what has happened in the past, the good and the bad.
Potential Problems:
This could be potentially problematic for parents who don’t want their children to know about racism and that people could want to hurt children. It’s a touchy subject and needs to be handled with care.
My Reaction:
I thought that this book handled the topic very well. It was true, but it wasn’t scary. It showed what happened and was able to clearly describe that way things were back then. It’s also nice that it’s a book with the child as a hero.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
I Need My Monster
Title: I Need My Monster
Author: Amanda Noll
Publisher: Flashlight Press
Copyright: 2009 by Amanda Noll
Ages: 4-8
Pages: 32
Genre: Picture Book
Summary:
Ethan goes to bed one night only to discover that his monster Gabe, is not there! Ethan didn’t know how he would sleep without his monster. Ethan decides that this will never do. He climbs out of bed and knocks on the floorboards. Then he jumps into bed and waits for his replacement monster.
The first monster’s name is Herbert and has an overbite and has never scared anyone before. So Ethan sends Herbert away and a new monster named Ralph appears. This time the monster has claws! But they’re covered in nail polish and the fur is neatly brushed. Ethan needed a scary monster, so he sends Ralph away as well. The next monster’s name is Cynthia and she has very impressive claws, but she’s a girl and Ethan really needs a boy monster. Ethan begins to think that he’s being too picky, but he stands firm. The next monster is named Mack had an abnormally long tongue that wasn’t scary at all. He leaves Ethan alone in his room saying not to expect another monster because he is too picky. Suddenly Ethan hears a noise under his bed. Gabe apologizes for being late and then explains that the fish get scared to easily and Ethan is a nice challenge. He drools nasty green slime and swings his spiked tail. Gabe and Ethan are perfect for each other. When Ethan’s blanket is tugged off the bed he knows Gabe is hungry, so he gives him his pillow. Everything was back to normal and Ethan was able to sleep.
Recommendations
I would recommend this to boys and girls who enjoy scary or funny stories. Not to children who are easily frightened because Gabe is somewhat scary looking.
Potential Problems
This book could be scary if a child has a real fear of monsters (however I think it could help a child get over that fear.) and there is a point in the book that says girl monsters are for girls and boy monsters for boys. Some parents might be bothered by that.
My Reaction:
I thought that this was a cute book and had some really fun illustrations. I thought it had a nice twist to monsters and could help kids understand that they’re not as scary.
Author: Amanda Noll
Publisher: Flashlight Press
Copyright: 2009 by Amanda Noll
Ages: 4-8
Pages: 32
Genre: Picture Book
Summary:
Ethan goes to bed one night only to discover that his monster Gabe, is not there! Ethan didn’t know how he would sleep without his monster. Ethan decides that this will never do. He climbs out of bed and knocks on the floorboards. Then he jumps into bed and waits for his replacement monster.
The first monster’s name is Herbert and has an overbite and has never scared anyone before. So Ethan sends Herbert away and a new monster named Ralph appears. This time the monster has claws! But they’re covered in nail polish and the fur is neatly brushed. Ethan needed a scary monster, so he sends Ralph away as well. The next monster’s name is Cynthia and she has very impressive claws, but she’s a girl and Ethan really needs a boy monster. Ethan begins to think that he’s being too picky, but he stands firm. The next monster is named Mack had an abnormally long tongue that wasn’t scary at all. He leaves Ethan alone in his room saying not to expect another monster because he is too picky. Suddenly Ethan hears a noise under his bed. Gabe apologizes for being late and then explains that the fish get scared to easily and Ethan is a nice challenge. He drools nasty green slime and swings his spiked tail. Gabe and Ethan are perfect for each other. When Ethan’s blanket is tugged off the bed he knows Gabe is hungry, so he gives him his pillow. Everything was back to normal and Ethan was able to sleep.
Recommendations
I would recommend this to boys and girls who enjoy scary or funny stories. Not to children who are easily frightened because Gabe is somewhat scary looking.
Potential Problems
This book could be scary if a child has a real fear of monsters (however I think it could help a child get over that fear.) and there is a point in the book that says girl monsters are for girls and boy monsters for boys. Some parents might be bothered by that.
My Reaction:
I thought that this was a cute book and had some really fun illustrations. I thought it had a nice twist to monsters and could help kids understand that they’re not as scary.
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